


The Future Is Far Less Daunting Walking Into It With You

by princehyunjin (wonhoon)



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: F/M, Other Than Hyunjin and OC The Other Characters Are Only Briefly Mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:40:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23416873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonhoon/pseuds/princehyunjin
Summary: What happens if you wake up in the same bed as your best friend of 10 years?
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 10





	The Future Is Far Less Daunting Walking Into It With You

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, dear readers!
> 
> I'm quite a new STAY, at only a little over 2 weeks old. I'm on term break now, so I have a lot of time on my hands. As I was watching 'Extraordinary You' a couple of weeks back, I can't help but notice how amazing the OST sounds as the end credits were rolling. After making the decision to check it out, I began delving deeper and deeper into this rabbit hole of Stray Kids, and by now it's to the point of no return, not that I'm complaining (hehe).
> 
> As an avid reader in my previous 6 fandoms, I came to realise the scarce amount of creations there are in this fandom when I was browsing through my selection, specifically in this site. It's such a pity, as our boys definitely deserve more beautiful work written about them. I thought that rather than staying in bed and complaining all day about the lack of fiction to satisfy my needs, why not come up with one myself! So despite the lack in quality, this is something I've worked on for the past few days.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

Bright sunlight was shining through the tall windows, lighting the room in a blinding shade of white. The curtains were undrawn, letting the beautiful morning wash into the small room in all its glory. Jihyun slowly pried her eyes open, allowing some time for her eyes to find focus before scanning her surroundings as best she could. As soon as she began to grasp her bearings, a sharp pain wrecked through her head, followed by a dull throbbing ache that replaces it after.

She clutched her head in a desperate attempt to make the pain stop, feeling dazed and confused.

_Where am I?..._

She looked down at herself, tilted her head to the left as slowly as possible to avoid aggravating her headache further, scanning the black tuft of hair poking out from under the covers that is her companion. When she finally recognises the lump of figure, seemingly still deep in sleep, she supresses the urge to groan out loud, wondering how badly she must have screwed up to find herself in this position. Ignoring the ache that is escalating with every movement she made, she hurriedly peeled the duvet off her body, collected her belongings and pieces of clothing around the hotel room, got dressed in record speed and fled from the scene.

_Just how much did I drink last night, and why would I wake up beside Hwang Hyunjin?!_

\---

Jihyun arrived at her dorm room a little after noon, thanking the universe that it's a Saturday today so she can push the thought of classes and exams out of her overheated mind. Millions of thoughts are racing across her memory – her 21st birthday party, downing alcohol bombs that grew increasingly stronger, having fun with her small group of friends- how did Hwang Hyunjin and hotel get into the picture? Jihyun-ah... Seriously, why did you have to blackout at the most important timing...

She slumped onto her couch, defeated. Whatever, she consoled herself as she found herself getting sleepier. It's the weekends. I've got two days to nurse my stupid decisions and pain, both physically and mentally, before having to face the issue at hand. It'll be okay. Everything will be fine...

\---

Everything is not okay.

Jihyun woke up with a start as her doorbell was rang repeatedly, followed by urgent knocking and indistinctive yelling. Her eyes instinctively glanced up to check the hands of her clock, 7pm... Who could it be?

She reluctantly pulled herself to her feet from the couch, working out the kinks in her neck from sleeping in an uncomfortable position. Thankfully, her headache was reduced to just a slightly taut feeling in her skull now, which was far more manageable than what it was before.

She reaches the door before her visitor could abuse her poor doorbell again, checking through the peephole before flinging the door wide open.

"JIHYUN-AH! YOU'RE ALIVE! I’m so sorry for leaving you behind, I drank too much and before I knew it, I was out like a light… I’m so glad you’re okay, if not I would never have forgiven myself.”

Jihyun was not prepared for the sudden attack, stumbling a few steps back from the impact of her best friend's hug, almost toppling over in shock. She manages to find her balance despite still being groggy from her nap, and pats her back reassuringly that yes, she's still very much alive, and yes, she's unharmed. They stay in the embrace for what feels like an hour, before she suggested that they stop standing in the doorway and move into the living area.

"Hyeyoon-ah," Jihyun began quietly, "Do you remember what happened last night?"

Hyeyoon gave Jihyun a quick once-over to make sure she is really okay, before squeezing both of her hands once, seemingly in encouragement. In the most serious expression she could muster, she breathes out, "Are you sure you are ready to hear it?"

And Jihyun thought her day couldn't have been any worse.

\---

_You can do this Jihyun-ah,_ she forces herself to take deep breaths to calm her nerves, as she desperately gives herself a pep talk. _Just stay away from crowded areas, stay hidden and avoid drawing unnecessary attention to yourself. It's no big deal, right? Not like you haven't been doing this for the past 2 years of college already. Breathe in, breathe out, just be yourself. You can do this_. She took another deep breath before gathering enough courage to leave her safe confinement of her room. If she didn't have to attend her lectures to avoid getting debarred from exams, she would never have voluntarily left her safe haven. _You can do this, Jihyun-ah. Fighting._

Jihyun spent her whole day practically stuck to the walls of her campus, avoiding eye contact with any living thing that moved and kept her head down to not be recognised. It's been going surprisingly well, considering that she had waist-length, wavy, bright strawberry blond hair that would have been difficult to miss.

Before she knew it, her last lecture for the day had finally concluded, and she couldn't wait to be back in the four walls of her dorm room again. She shoved her stationery and lecture notes into her backpack hastily, hoping she can make it back home in one piece.

\---

As Jihyun's hand made contact with her doorknob, she breathed a deep sigh of relief that her nerve-wrecking day was finally over. She was definitely going to reward herself with a nice warm bath with her favourite scented candles, and maybe order in some Chinese cuisine as a little celebratory dinner.

She punched in her password that she had memorised by heart since middle school, and had been her only password for all of her electronic devices since then. The keypad beeped twice in response, unlocking the door in a soft mechanic whirr. She toed her shoes off and dropped her backpack by her shoe rack, stretching her arms behind her back while stifling a yawn. It's been a long day, after all. The sun had long disappeared beyond the horizon, and Jihyun was mentally drained from being on high alert the entire afternoon. Now that she can finally relax, the exhaustion piled up on her and she couldn't wait to crash into her bed for a good night's sleep.

Jihyun reached for her light switch easily in the dark, having done this millions of times before, illuminating her pitch-black room in a soft white glow. What her eyes had registered after growing accustomed to the change in brightness almost sent her heart into overdrive, causing her to lose strength in her knees and take a few steps backwards in surprise.

"Have you been avoiding me, Hyun-ah?"

\---

"Hyunjin... How- How did you get in?" Jihyun sputtered after she gets over the initial shock.

Hyunjin got up to his feet from her fluffy white sofa, eyes downcast and looking extremely small despite his tall frame. Jihyun took this chance to take in his appearance – he was dressed in a simple black hoodie with navy blue jeans that are slightly ripped for style, his raven hair was unstyled and tousled, falling gently into his chestnut brown eyes. _Wow, he's so cute,_ she quietly admires. As he raises his gaze to meet hers from staring at the carpeted floor, Jihyun easily schooled her expression back into the blank look she's been doing for as long as she can remember, briefly wondering to herself if he had even slept at all the past couple of days.

"I guessed it– 200300," Hyunjin mumbled softly under his breath, "Jihyun-ah, we need to talk. Please."

Jihyun had never seen him in such a state before. She is frozen to her spot, afraid that with any sudden movement the boy in front of her would shatter into millions of pieces. Her heart breaks, and she tries to hold in her tears.

"Don't worry, Hyunjin-ah. That night– I don't need you to take any responsibility. We're both consenting adults, there's nothing wrong with it. Just... forget about it, okay?"

Hyunjin just stares back at her, eyes unfocused, looking more confused by the second. Jihyun doesn't know how to decipher the situation, so her only response was to flee the scene as naturally as she could.

"Look, Jin-ah, I–" Jihyun started, taking small steps backwards until she reaches her shoes. Slipping her feet in easily, she turns to reach for the doorknob, "I just remembered I agreed to meet Hyeyoon for dinner, I–"

She did not get to finish her sentence as she felt herself pressed up against her front door, with Hyunjin's arms pinned at either side of her head. She turns back in shock, drawing a deep breath when she came face to face with Hyunjin's features. At this distance, his dark eyebags are way more noticeable, he looked extremely haggard and so upset.

"No, Jihyun-ah. Stop hiding from me, and stop avoiding the issue."

"I–" Words got stuck in her throat as she stares back into his strong gaze, feeling her resistance grow weaker. A tear escapes her eye as she breaks off the intense eye contact, squeezing her eyes shut as she takes a deep breath. "I get it, Hyunjin. I don't want to hear your rejection. It hurts enough just like this, I don't want to hear you say it. Please. We can continue to be friends, pretend like nothing's ever happened. Please, just–"

Jihyun’s eyes shot open and she took a sharp breath in surprise. She registers a pair of soft lips against hers, gently pressing and coaxing them to stop trembling. She freezes for two seconds, before mustering all her strength to push Hyunjin off her.

“Hyunjin-ah, stop it– w-why are you doing this to me?” More tears roll down her cheeks.

Hyunjin says nothing, all the while maintaining his unwavering gaze on her. Despite the fire burning strong in his eyes, he lifts his right hand gently to wipe the tear streaks away, slowing leaning in for another kiss. Jihyun presses herself harder against the door to create more room between them, but it was futile. Hyunjin’s cherry pink lips pressed warm and sweet against hers in feathery touches, so light that it’s barely noticeable.

_This is wrong,_ Jihyun thought. _He does not want this. Why is he doing this to me?_

As Jihyun started to fight against his hold once more, his arms slowly slid down from the door and snaked around her waist, deepening the kiss. She felt her will to resist gushing out of her body like a broken dam, with bolts after bolts of electricity coursing through her veins, making her weak in the knees. All thoughts have left her brain at this point – all she felt was a raging fire in her chest, her head up in the clouds, and tingles down her spine. She kisses him back with the same ferocity, and she could feel Hyunjin smiling into the kiss. _If this is a dream,_ she prays silently, _then I hope I never wake up._

After what feels like an hour, her lungs burning from the lack of oxygen reminds her of reality. They break apart from each other slowly, with Hyunjin still trying to chase after her for more, both unwilling to let go. After catching her breath, she finally got her brain working again and reality hit her like a ton of bricks. Still in his warm embrace, Jihyun looks up and scans Hyunjin's face for any signs of regret, and he seem to catch on to her worries. He leaned down to peck her lips quickly, reassuring her that it was not a mistake. She buries her head on his shoulder in embarrassment, feeling her cheeks burn bright red and her heartbeat going through the roof. Hyunjin lets out a soft giggle, holding her closer. They continue staying in each other's arms for the next 15 minutes, with Hyunjin drawing soothing circles into her back occasionally.

"You smell amazing, it's so unfair," Jihyun suddenly speaks up, breaking the comfortable silence.

Slightly taken aback, Hyunjin laughs at how adorable she sounds. He could almost hear her pout as she whines. "Oh yeah? I've heard," his smile grew wider. "But you don't have to be jealous Hyun-ah. With how much I'm going to have you in my arms from now on, you'll start smelling just like me very soon."

Jihyun feigns a groan in retaliation, but her pretence only lasted for about a second before she giggles uncontrollably into his broad shoulder.

"I'd love that."

\---

"Spill,” Jihyun attempts her most threatening front, “How did you find out about my crush?"

Hyunjin tries not to coo at her cuteness, albeit failing miserably. She frowns at his reaction and slaps his arm in annoyance, “Hey, I’m serious.”

This only caused Hyunjin to smile even wider at her adorable antics. However, sensing the serious mood regarding this issue, he schools his expression into a serious one before answering her question.

"I didn't find out, you told me yourself."

\---

Throwback to Jihyun's birthday party night, where she practically sat straddled across Hyunjin’s thighs, tucking her petite frame to fit into his embrace. As he sat frozen in shock by her sudden bold actions, she started sobbing into his neck drunkenly, thinking he was Hyeyoon.

Her onslaught of tears causes him to panic, and he tries his best to comfort her by patting on her back awkwardly. Even though they’ve been friends for years, he isn’t used to being in such close contact with her. Their entire friend group was watching the whole scene play out in great amusement, as it’s not every day that they can see The Usually Cool Hwang Hyunjin being so flustered. He desperately looked around for help, but to his dismay, he found none. Hyeyoon had left the bar earlier as she was dead drunk even before the clock hits twelve, so Rowoon had already taken her home hours before. All his friends are practically good for nothing, especially when it gives them an opportunity to see him rendered helpless for once. He scans the room once more for good measure, hoping that there’ll be one person willing to help soothe the sobbing girl in his arms, but as he takes another once-over at the boys, all of whom had shit-eating grins on their faces, he knew he shouldn’t have bothered pinning any hope on them in the first place.

“Oh dear,” Jeongin pipes up, eyes disappearing into two crescents in delight, “Noona is so going to regret this when she sobers up tomorrow.”

Everyone laughed in unison, agreeing with the youngest.

"Hyeyoon-ah… My best friend… What should I do?... I love Hyunjin so much... So much that it hurts... Why wouldn't he like me back? I've been by his side longer than Soyeon had, why did he choose her over me? I'm happy that they broke up, my Hyunjinnie deserved better anyway. I could have loved him more than anyone else, but why couldn't he see me? Why... Hyeyoon-ah... Why can’t he ever see me? Why do I love him so much? Why… Why does it hurt so much? Why do I still love him after 10 years... I'm the biggest fool in the world, Hyeyoon-ah... Your best friend is a fool..." She trails off as she proceeds to pass out in Hyunjin's arms, where he was frozen in his spot.

If it weren't for the tense situation, Hyunjin would have laughed at how stupid his friends look. Everyone's eyes grew comically wide at Jihyun's sudden confession, jaws gaping, and as they silently wondered to themselves how hard it was for Jihyun to keep this secret from them all this while.

"And what about the..." Her face grew red at the thought. "The... hotel room..."

"Ahh, you wouldn't let go of me no matter how much everyone tried to pry you off, so I carried you up to the room I booked with Minho-hyung. We knew we were going to get wasted, so we didn't want to bother with getting our drunk asses home. When I finally got you in bed you suddenly start to take off your clothes saying they are uncomfortable, and I couldn’t stop you in time... So I just covered you with the duvet. I was so tired and goddamn wasted, I just crashed beside you and was out like a lamp in seconds."

"Wait- so you’re saying that... nothing… happened?"

"Yeah, sadly. I was fully clothed under the covers. You just didn't bother checking and jumped into conclusions." Hyunjin pinched her nose lightly to tease her even more.

Jihyun hid her head in her hands in utter shame, marvelling at her own stupidity. _What have I done?... Wait-_

“Why didn’t Hyeyoon tell me about this when I asked her the next day?” Jihyun suddenly shot upright, tilting her head in confusion, “There’s no reason for her to hide it from me.”

Hyunjin nods in acknowledgement, “She doesn’t know about it. I knew she’d look for you the next day, so I told the boys not to mention anything to save you from further embarrassment. She only knows about you sitting on me and passing out in my embrace. Other than Minho-hyung, the rest of the boys doesn’t know that we spent the night together either. Everyone just thought you went home by yourself.”

_Ahh… That would explain her reaction when she saw me at home…_ She was getting lost in her thoughts as the missing puzzles began matching up in her head, and she slowly starts making sense of the whole situation.

After finally coming to terms with all that had happened, she slaps her hands into her face once more, feeling all the embarrassment hit her like a freight truck. “I’m such a dumbass,” she mumbles from between her fingers.

Hyunjin’s eyes crinkle in delight – _just how is she so cute,_ he thinks to himself _, it’s really going to be the death of me_ – as he gently pries her hands off her face that’s quickly growing pink, "It's okay baby, I love you nonetheless."

Her cheeks and ears turn completely red at the nickname, and she tackles him into a bear hug, snuggling up to him. She sighs in content as she fits perfectly in his embrace. Hyunjin wraps his arm around her small frame to pull her closer, both of them relishing in each other’s warmth.

After being just friends for over a decade, Jihyun is finally at the place where she belongs. As she watched Hyunjin fall in and out of love with people that isn’t her, she felt like a vagabond – with no roof above her head, no one to love, and no one to love her back. She’s pacing back and forth in the same neighbourhood, growing too fond of it to leave for a new town. In these years, she had harboured a daring hope that one day, the sturdy-looking house down the street that she had grown to love so, so much, would welcome her in with open arms.

And now, she’s finally home.

**Author's Note:**

> You can come yell at me on twt @princehyeonjin :D


End file.
